Rail-bond.



No ss7,415.- lA-I'BNTED 001?. 1, 1967;" P... w. 310mm. RAIL BOND AII'LIGATION FILED DBO. 5, 1002.

WITNESSES:

qliigure 1 is a plan view of a UNITED STATEQPATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. RICHEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,"ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RAIL-BOND.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Oct. 1, 1907.-

Application filed December 5,1902. Serial No. 133,960.

county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain 5 new and'useful Improvements in Rail-Bonds, of which .the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rail bonds, and its object is to provide a bond in which the connection or union between the body portion of the bond and the terminal heads shall be complete and perfect, thus forming a homogeneous structure.

v It is only by the formation of a complete and'perfect union between thejbody portions oi the bonds and the of the bonds can be obtained, and "such complete union also'adds to the life of the bond, and thus enhances materially its intrinsicvalue.

Heretofore, in the construction aof bonds, where a welding operatioii-has been employed, the presence of a metallic oxi'd, for instance, copper oxid, if copper was the metal employed, has prevented that complete and extended union necessary to the-formation of a homogeneous structure, which is essential to satisfactory and efiicient results.

It. hasv been found that-in the operation of welding the parts, as heretofore carried out only the centrally disposedportions of the terminal heads were united to the body portion of the bonds, the outer portions the-bodyportions of. the bonds having been prevented from uniting-by the presence of an o'xid which formed during the heating ofthe bond terminals, such'formation'of oxid being due' to the presence of'air.

union between'the body of a bond and its terminal ahead, is described hereinbelow and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming apart of this specification, and in which,

rail bond in process of .2-2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is aplan'of one of the terminal heads. Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of 1 and 2. 5 is a side elevation of one of the 4,& terminal heads. Figs."6 and 7 are edge and side views,

' respectively, of one of the cover plates.

Inthe drawings, the numerall designates the body portion of a rail bond,,the said body portion consisting of a series of flat ribbon-like metallic. strips arranged side by side Orin parallelismfor convolutions of a single, flat, metallic strip, the said body portion of the bond having its opposite ends formed into loops.

' 2, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1' of the drawings. The

flat ribbonlike stripsarepreferably arranged in two,

terminal heads that satisfactory electrical conductivity of the contactingare'a between the said terminals and The means employed by me to securethe desired sets, as shown, and each set is provided with acurve or bend 3, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

4 designates a terminal head or member having a reduced attaching portion 5 and an enlarged flattened out portion 6. The head is provided with a flange 10 somewhat wider than the width of theribbon like metallic strips constituting the body of the bond. The flange 10 extends upward from the outer periphery oi the portion 6. Each of the heads is also provided, with a stud or projection 8 which is'preierably 1 round, as indicated by dotted lines 1 and 3 of the drawings, and extends upward from the flattened out portion 6 a distance substantially eqfial to the width of the flange 10. i The space between the stud or, projection 8 and the flange ldiorms'a channel 7 into which the loop 2 of the body portionof thebond is received, a suitable opening 11 being formed in the flange 10- through which the strips forming the body portion of the-bond pass.

The height of the stud 8 is sufiiciently greater than .the'width ofthe strips so that when pressure is applied as hereinafter stated the wedge like portion 9, shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is formed and the bight of the loop thus completely filled. If desired, the wedge-like portion maybe formed when the head is forged in which case its height should be equal to the width of the metallic strips constituting the body po'rtion oi thebond."

12 designatesv a plate of "circular contour which is adapted to be placed within the space surrounded by the upper portion of the flange 10, as clearly shown at the right hand side of-Figs. 1, 2, and 4, of the drawings.

In the construction of my device, the head may be formed in any suitable manner, preferably by forging,

thebody-po'rtion of the headjtheprojectibn 8 and the flange 10 being simultaneously formed. After the headhas been formed, the loop 2 is placed the depression or channel 7 after which the plate 12 is placed in position above the said loop, and the pro jection 8, the terminal heads being thenplaced within a die and the. parts while cold are subjected to a pressure sufilcientto turn the upper portion of the flange 10 over upon the greater portion of the peripheral edge of the plate 12, so that the said plate and the body portion of-the bond are securely attached to the said head. In the operation of turning the flange 10 over upon the said plate, the air is completely removed After having been subjected to pressure within a die as above stated, the space aforesaid is completely filled by the stud 8 and the strips forming the loop. 2

ion

from the space formed by the surrounding walls of the plate 12, flattened out portion 6, and the flange 10. H

of the body portion of the bond, the upper portion of thehead 4, loop 2 and plate 12 being compacted into a substantial solid mass from which all air is permanently excluded by the pressure. As a result the formation of an oxid is prevented during the heating which the terminals thereafter undergo preparatory 'to subjecting the same to pressure for the purpose of securely welding the terminahhead 4, plate 12 and loop 2, together to form a homogeneous structure. In

welding the said parts together, the head 4 may'be placed in a die so that a small portion of its upper enlarged end is allowed to project,'after which a ham mer'otsuitable'construction is dropped upon the projecting end, to flatten itout, and cause the'several parts-to unite into a compact, homogeneous structure;

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:-

1. A rail bond comprising a body portion and terminal heads, the body portion surrounding a projection upon each of the heads, a plate located over each of said loops .and said projections, and each plate being secured in position'by an overturned portion ofthe respective terminal,

heads compressed upon it.

2. A rail bond comprising a body portion and terminal heads, the body portion surrounding a projection upon each of the heads, a plate located over'each of said loops and said projections, eachplate being secured in position by an overturned portion of the respective terminal heads compressed upon it, the said body portion, terminal heads and plates being welded together to form a homogeneous structure. 7 I

' 3. A rail bond comprising abody portion provided with loops at its opposite ends, terminal heads each provided with a projection upon its upper end,' a flange surround ing each of said projections but separated therefrom by a space in which one of said loops is placed, a plate located over each of said loops and the end of the corresponding projection, said flanges being turned over on the plates; and the terminal heads, loops and plates being welded together. I

4; A rail bond comp1'ising,a-body portion provided with loops at its opposite ends, terminal heads each provided with a projection centrally disposed on its upper end, one

of said loops surrounding each of said projections, a plate located over each of said loops and engaging the end of the corresponding projection, a flange surrounding each of said loops'and'said plates,.the edge of said flang be .ing turned over upon the greater portion of the peripheral edges otvsaid plates, the body portion, heads and plates.

being'lcompacted and welded together into a homogeneous structure.

5. A rail bond comprising terminal head formed with a projection centrally disposed. on one; or its ends and a hange surrounding said projection but separated therefrom by a space, a body poitiomhavlng a portion looped about said projection and located within said flange,,and'

a plate placed over the looped end ofthe body portion and the end of said projection, said piate being secured to the flange and to the projection.' i

6. A rail bond comprising a terminal head formed with a- FRANK W. RICHEY. in the presence of 'lnos. K. LANCASTER, ARTHUR E. PAIGE. 

